As an English teacher from September 2006 to August 2009, I taught students in Tapa, Estonia a little bit about conditionals and reported speech; a little more about creative writing and self-reflection; a few hands-on things about London, England; and, quite by accident, a little something about myself. Below is an attempt at recording and sharing what I saw, thought, experienced, and surmised.

29 October 2006

Like a rare coin collector, or a young outfielder with a baseball card collection, or even a collector of fine art from dynasties long ago, I am very excited to have these two pictures and, more importantly, to display them next to each other.

On the left are my good friends Emily, Doreen, Ian, and Ed Keating (l-r) of Geneva, Illinois, and on the right are the wonderful women of the public library right here in Tapa, including Kersti Burk (third from l) and Ere Käärmaa (third from r).

Having known Ed since I was in high school, Doreen since she married Ed, and Emily and Ian since they were born and having had Kersti and Ere keep me abreast of all things cultural for the last seven years, all of these people been a great support for me in many of the crazy things I have done, including returning to Tapa to teach English.